1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an accelerator cable arrangement for operatively connecting an accelerator pedal with an engine or the like, and more particularly to such an accelerator cable arrangement adapted to effectively damp vibration transmitted thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In connection with a vehicular accelerator arrangement in which a depression force of an accelerator pedal is transmitted through an accelerator cable to a carburetor located remote from the accelerator pedal, a proposal has been made to avoid discomfort caused by vibration transmitted through the accelerator cable from an engine or the like, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Provisional (First) Publication No. 56-44930. In this proposal, vibration insulating rubber is used in a connecting section of the accelerator cable and a pedal lever carrying an accelerator pedal. More specifically, the insulating rubber is interposed between the pedal lever and a metallic stop member secured at the extreme end of the accelerator cable, in which the accelerator cable passes through the pedal lever and the insulating rubber. The metallic stop member functions to prevent the pedal lever and the insulating rubber from coming off the accelerator cable.
With such an accelerator arrangement, if the elasticity of the insulating rubber is too high, the insulating rubber highly deflects upon depression of the accelerator pedal, thus unnecessarily increasing depression stroke of the accelerator pedal. On the other hand, if the elasticity of the insulating rubber is too low, a desired vibration damping effect cannot be obtained. Additionally, since the metallic stop member also serving as a mass member is not supported relative to the pedal lever so as to be free, it will unavoidably project backwardly under inertia and hangs down by its own weight when the accelerator pedal is depressed. This causes local contact of the insulating rubber with adjacent members resulting in eccentric wear of the insulating rubber, thus significantly lowering vibration damping effect of the insulating rubber. The above-mentioned hanging-down of the metallic stop member or mass member unnecessarily pulls the accelerator cable, so that rapid engine speed rise due to engine racing tends to occur.